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by onceuponaplot



Series: Library 'verse [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Lazy Mornings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8279027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponaplot/pseuds/onceuponaplot
Summary: (Set vaguely in the future of library 'verse but can be read on its own.)
The sheets are soft against his sleep-warm skin and he wants to pretend for just a few more minutes that he's in that safe, cozy place between waking and sleep. He does his best to disregard the sunlight streaming through the window against his eyelids. The bed dips and Steve doesn't bother to open his eyes as tiny, paw-sized points of the comforter are pressed down against his back.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So sorry for how long this took. My muse hasn't really been cooperating with me but I found this half-finished the other night and decided to try and get back into the swing of things. Mostly written on a tablet & half of it months ago so blame any typos or weird mood changes on that until I have the chance to go back and revise this more fully on my laptop over the weekend. For now I just wanted to get this up before I forgot about it lest it sit for a few more months in the depths of my drive.
> 
> To anyone who's stuck with me so long or left reviews despite my inactivity: thank you so much. I'm not the best at responding, but I read and appreciate each and every message!

Steve presses his face a little deeper into his pillow with a sigh. The sheets are soft against his sleep-warm skin and he wants to pretend for just a few more minutes that he's in that safe, cozy place between waking and sleep. He does his best to disregard the sunlight streaming through the window against his eyelids.

The bed dips and Steve doesn't bother to open his eyes as tiny, paw-sized points of the comforter are pressed down against his back.

There's a loud "Mrrrw," by his ear before a small, damp nose presses against his cheek. Paws knead the blankets tugged around his shoulders. The cat is purring before she's even finished settling herself along Steve's back, whiskers just tickling his neck.

Steve's resolve to stay here the rest of the day grows stronger.

He does peek one eye open when the door creaks. Clint doesn't notice his open eye; the blond tiptoes around, grabbing things from around the room. There's a steaming mug in his free hand.

Steve smiles into the pillow as Clint settles carefully on the other side of the bed, mattress dipping beneath his weight, and coos at the cat for a moment. He scratches between her shoulders briefly and the volume of her purring increases exponentially. Steve can only just make out the sound of pages rustling over the contented cat as Clint leans away.

' _This_ ,' Steve thinks, ' _is a good morning._ '

He only gets a second of warning - the clacking of nails on the floor and a single, excited bark - before something launches itself onto the bed. Steve is immediately jolted completely awake as the dog's flying leap startles the cat and she digs her claws through the comforter to his shoulder.

"Lucky! Damn it," Clint hisses behind him. His mug clinks down on the nightstand and Steve wonders if the coffee survived the retriever's sudden arrival. The bed dips again as the dog flops down between Clint and Steve, tail thumping happily against Steve's legs. "You're gonna wake Steve."

Theoretically Clint is scolding the dog, but Steve can hear the smile in his voice and the frequency of Lucky's tail smacking his legs increases.

The cat, jealous of the attention Lucky is probably getting, decides it is the perfect time to meow loudly and walk over Steve's face to demand Clint's attention.

"'m already up," Steve sighs. With the cat no longer curled up on his back, he's free to twist and roll over to look at Clint. He's still in his pajamas, a sweater tugged over his t-shirt to combat the morning chill. Lucky monopolizes one of his hands, eyes closed in bliss, and the cat is doggedly attempting to force Clint to pet her with the other. She has, it seems, no regard for the coffee mug already occupying it.

Clint looks surprised but happy to see Steve sitting up. The distraction is all the cat needs to butt her head against his wrist. Coffee sloshes dangerously close to the rim of the mug.

Steve laughs and grabs the cat. She happily focuses her attention on Steve, curling up in his lap and rubbing her cheeks against his hands when he scratches her chin.

"That cat," Clint says, "is a hazard to the sheets."

"That cat," Steve retorts, "is annoyed that you won't use her name."

Clint twists his face into a fairly dramatic grimace. "We are not naming our cat-"

She meows. Loudly. Steve shakes his head, chuckles just a bit when the cat lets out a second long meow. "Darth Vader does not like your tone."

Clint waves his hand towards the cat. "It's not a cat name!"

Darth Vader chirps. Lucky's tail thumps a little harder against Steve's leg. Clint's stare turns withering.

And Steve? Steve just laughs.

"Whatever, nerd," Clint mutters. But he's starting to smile too, and the look he aims Steve's way when the smaller man finally gets a hold of himself is nothing if not fond.

"Creamsicle isn't any better."

"She's orange!"

"So she gets named after a snack?"

"I'm not going to the vet and telling them Darth Vader needs a rabies shot!"

Steve laughs again, hard enough that Maybe-Vader shoots him an alarmed, wide-eyed stare and presses her paws more firmly against his stomach. Her ears twitch and her tail flops from side to side, tap-tap-tapping against Lucky's own happy wagging, and she lets loose a tiny 'meh' into the quiet of Sunday morning. Steve takes a moment to admire how thoroughly the cat has managed to integrate herself into their routine after little more than a day.

Clint seems content to let the matter rest a while, absently scratching Lucky's ears and grabbing his newspaper from the nightstand. Steve catches a glimpse of half a headline before he closes his eyes again and settles more firmly into the pillows.

Everything's quiet again. The cat purrs in Steve's lap. Lucky huffs in bliss every few minutes. Clint murmurs an ongoing commentary on the contents of the articles he reads and the pages rustle against one another. Steve takes it all in, lets the calm wash back over him.

Clint's coffee runs out and he asks Steve if he wants any.

Steve does. "We'll have to agree on something before we send her registration stuff in to the city tomorrow," he adds as Clint levers himself off the bed.

The blonde groans. Rounds the bed to perch on the side of the mattress by Steve's hip. He makes a show of maintaining Serious Adult Eye Contact over the frames of his reading glasses. Steve can still recall with perfect clarity the multitude of complaints that had filled their apartment when Clint found out he needed them. Cries of 'Perfect vision!' had haunted Steve's waking hours for weeks.

But Clint has his serious face on, and Steve in turn makes a show of looking as professional and attentive as he can while dressed in baggy sweats and a rumpled t-shirt, still buried beneath their comforter on a Sunday morning. Clint sighs. "Do you really, honestly want to name her Vader?"

Steve grabs at Clint's free hand as he contemplates his answer. Tangles their fingers together and runs his thumb thoughtfully over Clint's knuckles, spends a little extra time on the smooth gold band that adorns his ring finger. He smirks a little as he admits, "I could probably be convinced."

Clint's own lips twitch and his eyebrow shifts ever so slightly upward. "Oh really?"

Steve nods. Warns, "We're not naming her after food." Then he squeezes Clint's hand. "That coffee would be an excellent way to get on my good side."

"I thought I was already on your good side," teases Clint. He doesn't give Steve a chance to respond, leaning in for a quick kiss. They both have morning breath and Clint tastes like French roast with too little sugar, but Steve wouldn't trade mornings like this for the world. He's got a dopey smile plastered on his face when Clint pulls away. No-Longer-Vader's grumpy noise at being squished between them - however briefly - is ignored by all. Even Lucky isn't deterred; he shoves his muzzle into Steve's lap for attention now that Clint has abandoned the cocoon of blankets and animals on the bed.

"Bring me caffeine and you'll stay there."

Clint mock salutes as he backs out of their bedroom in search of coffee. "Sir, yes sir."

They're both laughing as Clint disappears from view.


End file.
